On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2193 Liu Zian

As Huo Changxu and Governor Cao left one after another, the courtyard gradually quieted down, leaving only Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe.

Yan Ruyu's expression was solemn, and her tone carried a hint of worry: "Your Highness, we cannot be careless. My mother has also taken the medicinal food from Yishengtang and drank wine last night. She seems fine now, but perhaps it's just that the attack hasn't started yet. Her condition is actually dangerous."

Huo Changhe's aura deepened.

"Don't worry, I've already had people secretly lock onto Yishengtang," Huo Changhe's voice was deep and powerful, carrying an undeniable determination, "None of their people will escape."

Yan Ruyu nodded slowly, a sharp glint in her eyes: "We cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom; we must take the initiative."

Those who have been exposed to medicinal cuisine should be identified as soon as possible; only by taking the initiative can this crisis be truly resolved.

Huo Changhe reached out and gently took her hand; his palm was warm. "Alright. I'll have people investigate secretly. Governor Cao is in the open, while our people are in the shadows. I believe it won't be long before we get some leads."

……

Huo Changxu walked hurriedly through the bamboo-lined path, his brows furrowed.

Following Yan Ruyu's instructions, he rode at full speed to the academy. It was the time for morning classes, and along the way he could occasionally see groups of students carrying books or teachers with steady steps.

Huo Changxu had no interest in small talk and walked straight toward the lecture hall. From afar, he saw several teachers standing under the corridor discussing matters. One of them was Master Zhou, who taught classics and history and was also the teacher of Liu Zian's class.

"Master Zhou, I apologize for disturbing you." Huo Changxu stepped forward quickly, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with barely concealed urgency, "I have come today to look for your student Liu Zi'an. I wonder if he is in class at the moment?"

Upon hearing this, Master Zhou stroked his beard, a thoughtful look in his eyes. After a moment, he slowly shook his head: "Liu Zian? He didn't come to class today. Yesterday, he asked a classmate to submit a leave note, saying that he had caught a cold and needed to rest for a few days."

"A cold?" Huo Changxu's heart skipped a beat, and his brows furrowed even more. "Does the teacher know where he is now?"

A math teacher named Li chimed in, "He should be in the dormitory. Although Liu Zian isn't exceptionally bright, he's quite diligent and rarely misses class without a reason."

Huo Changxu thanked the teachers, but his worries deepened.

Yan Ruyu had specifically instructed that Liu Zian was already in a high-risk situation because he was drowsy and in poor spirits and had taken Yishengtang's medicinal diet. Now that he had suddenly taken leave, could it be that he had developed an acute illness?

He didn't dare to delay and turned to walk towards the students' dormitory.

The academy's dormitory area is built against the mountain, with rows of houses neatly arranged and surrounded by many flowering trees. At this moment, the petals are falling softly, covering the ground with pink and white petals.

Huo Changxu found Liu Zian's dormitory. The door was ajar. He gently pushed it open and found the room quiet and empty.

The dormitory was simply furnished with a wooden bed, a desk, and various books neatly arranged on the bookshelf. Unfinished homework lay on the desk, and the ink in the inkstone had solidified.

Huo Changxu looked around, walked to the desk, picked up the unfinished homework sheet. The handwriting was fairly neat, but the last few words were a bit messy, as if the writer was suddenly restless.

Huo Changxu put down his studies, his unease growing stronger. Where on earth had Liu Zian gone?

If he really had a cold and was bedridden, why wasn't he resting in his dormitory? Did he go home?

However, he did not know Liu Zian's home address.

Huo Changxu walked out of the dormitory and stood in the corridor. Just as he was about to ask the other students, he heard the laughter and chatter of several students not far away, mixed with a few words of discussion, which drifted into his ears.

"Have you heard? Someone was going crazy by the lake just now, shouting and cursing at the water. Doesn't he care if the Master sees him and punishes him?"

"That's right, it's already class time, how dare they cause trouble there, it's too outrageous."

"I took a peek from afar, and it looks like it's from our academy, but I don't know its name. I'm quite excited about it."

Huo Changxu's heart tightened, and he quickly walked towards the students.

"Please wait a moment, fellow students," Huo Changxu said, bowing urgently. "I just heard you say that someone went mad by the lake? Did you see who it was? Did you notice anything special about them?"

One of the round-faced students answered, "Young Master Huo?"

He recognized Huo Changxu's identity and was somewhat flattered: "We didn't see him very clearly, we were a bit far away. We only know that he is a student of our academy, I think his surname is Liu, and his given name is An? I'm not sure."

"Liu Zian?" Huo Changxu's heart jumped into his throat. He didn't care about asking any more questions and ran quickly towards the lake.

The lakeside of the academy was lined with weeping willows, their long branches drooping down to the water. Huo Changxu had just run to the lakeside when he saw a figure standing under a willow tree not far away, with his back to him, hands on his hips, muttering to himself in front of the lake, his tone excited, as if he was venting something.

Huo Changxu slowed his pace, stepped forward, and tentatively asked, "Excuse me, are you Liu Zian's classmate?"

Upon hearing this, the man slowly turned around.

He was thin, wearing a faded blue shirt, his hair was a little messy, his eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was somewhat tired, yet also revealed a kind of arrogance.

He glanced at Huo Changxu, his eyes flickered, and then he curled his lips into a half-smile: "I am Liu Zian, so you are the Second Young Master Huo."

Huo Changxu was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Liu Zian to know him, and couldn't help but ask, "You know me?"

Liu Zian chuckled, his tone clearly sarcastic: "The famous Second Young Master Huo, the younger brother of the Prince of Zhennan, is exceptionally talented and comes from a wealthy family. Who in the entire Youcheng doesn't know him? How could I not recognize him?"

These words sounded harsh, but Huo Changxu had no time to care. He was only concerned about Liu Zian's health and quickly said, "Classmate Liu, I have come to see you today because I have important business to discuss. Please come back to the Zhennan Prince's Mansion with me."

Liu Zian chuckled and took a step back.

He raised an eyebrow and said, "Why should I go with you? Young Master Huo, although you are the younger brother of the Prince of Zhennan and have a noble status, you can't just order others around, can you?"

"I haven't broken the law or caused any trouble, so why should I listen to you?"

Huo Changxu took a deep breath, suppressing his impatience, and patiently explained, "Classmate Liu, I'm not ordering you around, I'm just worried about your health."

Have you been feeling sleepy and lethargic lately?

You've also taken medicinal meals from Yishengtang? You might have a serious illness; delaying treatment could be dangerous.